Dear Vietnam Veteran,

I would like to express my thankfulness for you. I am thankful for your sacrifices and willingness to serve. It is an honor to be writing to a hero. You may have not received the welcome home you deserved initially, but today can be a second chance. I could not fathom how it was to come home to a country who didn’t recognize your sacrifices to serve or welcome you home.

My name is Josh. I am a high school senior. As I am preparing to go to college next year I recognize the huge impact your service could have had on your life. At 18 it’s hard to decide what to do in the rest of your life let alone being drafted into the military and called to service across the globe. For that I am grateful for you and other servicemen and women’s selflessness and commitment to serve.

In eighth grade I had the privilege to take a class trip to Washington D.C. When we visited the memorials, it was a powerful experience. Seeing people reading names of servicemen on the memorials reminded me of how grateful I should be to veterans in any circumstance. The most powerful moment to me was the wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was a very cool experience and one of great respect to fellow servicemen and women. This and the many memorials must have been a great experience to visit today.

I thank you for your service in one of the hardest and most tough wars in American history. At 18 I would struggle to know I am going to serve across the globe. Stories of your service there made it appear it was one of the most difficult. You were deployed there and served your country and then you had to come home to people who wouldn’t recognize your sacrifices. That’s one of the hardest things to come home to. I would like to thank you for your service and sacrifice in Vietnam for our country.

I am thankful for you and the many men and women that have served for our country selflessly. Your service may not have received the same gratitude others have. For that I would like to thank you personally. I have seen documentaries on how Vietnam Veterans were treated after the war and it was horrible the way people treated you and other veterans. Today on the Honor Flight I hope you felt appreciated and received the welcome home you deserved for many years.

I am thankful for your bravery, perseverance, and sacrifice of you and your servicemen and women gave. I hope you enjoyed your Honor Flight experience and I would love to hear back from you and to hear about your experiences. Welcome Home!

Thank you for your service,                                                                 

Josh